Nora Al Matrooshi, First Arab Woman Astronaut, First Emirati Woman To Complete Her Training At NASA
New
Age Islam News Bureau
24
March 2024
•
Nora Al Matrooshi, First Arab Woman Astronaut, First Emirati WomanTo Complete
Her Training At NASA
•
Suriya Bibi’s Historic Win Shatters Stereotypes, Empowers KP Women in Pakistani
Politics
•
Supreme Court Lawyer Shahnaz Tabassum Congress Pick Against Owaisi?
•
Apple Leads Conversation On Women’s Health At Riyadh Event
•
'The Hebrew Teacher': Three novellas about Israeli women in the US - review
•
Heat Exposure Linked To Pregnancy Outcomes: Study
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nora-al-matrooshi-arab-astronaut-nasa/d/131991
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Nora
Al Matrooshi, First Arab Woman Astronaut, First Emirati Woman To Complete Her
Training At NASA
UAE astronaut Nora Al-Matrooshi looks on during a
press conference in Dubai on July 7, 2021. (AFP)
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BY
MALIYA
3.23.24
Nora
Al Matrooshi is making history as the first Emirati woman to complete her
training at NASA. What does that mean? Nora can officially call herself an
astronaut — a dream she’s had since she was five years old.
In
honor of Muslim Women’s Day on March 27, we teamed up with our friends at NASA
to hear Nora’s inspiring story as she gives meaning to the phrase, “If you can
see it, you can be it.” After graduating with a degree in mechanical
engineering from the United Arab Emirates University and continuing her training
in Finland, Nora was selected by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA)
to join NASA’s training program in 2021. Her extensive astronaut training took
two years of dedicated effort, which encompassed training activities such as
simulated spacewalks in her hijab. On March 5, 2024, Nora became the first Arab
Muslim woman to complete the rigorous program, qualifying her to participate in
NASA space missions.
She
is breaking gender barriers in space exploration and empowering Muslim women
worldwide, from her training at Johnson Space Center to future missions to the
moon and beyond. Thanks to her hard work, now millions of girls around the
world will be able to see a reflection of themselves in the stars.
MUSLIM
GIRL: How has your faith influenced your experience as an astronaut?
Nora
Al Matrooshi: I think building on what
all of the Muslim and Arab scholars have already done thousands of years ago
when they were studying the stars. That’s one of the things that inspired me
and made me even more eager to pursue a career path in space.
How
do you balance the cultural significance of being an Emirati woman with the
universal pursuit of space exploration?
I
don’t think there’s any clash between those two things because ever since the
UAE was founded, the founders of the UAE knew how important of a role women
play in society. So, they were pushing for women to be in every single field —
and that way of thinking, growing and developing has, I think, helped the UAE
reach the standard. The UAE culture is built on exploring going after what you
want and what you believe in. The UAE has deleted the word impossible from
their dictionary. A lot of our leadership says that all the time, there is
nothing impossible in the UAE. We are going to push beyond what people think we
can do. We are going to go beyond what anyone else has done. And we are going
to take whoever we can along with us.
How
do you feel about breaking these gender barriers in space exploration? I think
this is the first time I’m seeing someone that looks like me. What message would you like to convey to
aspiring female astronauts?
Your
training undoubtedly involves collaboration with colleagues from diverse
backgrounds. How do you navigate cultural differences and foster teamwork in
such an intense and high-stakes environment?
One
of the most important traits that astronauts need to have is an open mind and
being a good team member. I was extremely lucky to be with 11 other astronauts
that are that. They asked questions when they didn’t understand anything and
they were very interested in my culture and religion just to know what I’m okay
with and what they’re okay with. So, they asked and I gave them the answers
that they needed. I really appreciate them asking because sometimes I wouldn’t
know what was going to happen, and they would reach out beforehand and be like,
“Nora, this is what’s gonna happen, 1 2 3 4… Is there anything in the agenda
that you’re not comfortable with?” Then, if I point something out, they would
ask, “How can we make this comfortable for you?” Like I said, one of the main
essential traits for you to be an astronaut is for you to be flexible and be a
good teammate, and I think the 11 people who graduated with me today are
exactly that.
Can
you share a memorable experience or moment from your training at Johnson Space
Center and the impact it had on you?
Honestly,
there are a lot of memorable experiences for me here. One of them being the
first time I got into a T38 and we went
supersonic. That’s like faster than the speed of sound. That was amazing. And
then the second moment was in the suit in the neutral buoyancy lab. Looking at
the mock-up of the ISS in the pool and seeing, imagining, what it would
actually look like if you were actually in a suit, doing a spacewalk on
station. I think those two moments are the most memorable for me. Those two
moments just let it sink in that I’ve reached the goal that I’ve been working
towards for a very long time.
With
plans for future space missions, including trips to the moon and Mars under
NASA’s Artemis program, what are your long-term goals and aspirations in the
field of space exploration?
The
United Arab Emirates has signed on to be part of the Artemis program. The UAE,
through the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, is going to be building the
airlock for Gateway, which is something similar to the ISS. It’s a space
station that’s going to be orbiting the moon. I wanted to be an astronaut since
I was five. The day that I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut was in our
kindergarten class: our teacher took us on a make-believe trip to the moon, and
that day I imagined myself actually setting foot on the moon. That image is
what pushed me towards pursuing a career in space and wanting to become an
astronaut. So, I’m very excited for the Artemis missions and my dream mission
would be a mission to the surface of the moon.
If
you could choose the soundtrack for your first space mission, what songs would
be on your space playlist?
Oh,
that’s so such a good question. Let’s see. I think it would be a mixture of
90’s pop music and a bunch of old Arabic songs. I basically listen to
everything, but I think a mixture of those two is going to be what I’m going to
listen to.
During
your astronaut training, what was the most unexpected or amusing challenge you
faced that you didn’t anticipate when you first started the program?
I
thought that my version of camping was actual camping, but it turned out to be
what the Americans consider to be “glamping.” I’m a very clean person. I like
to be clean, and it’s really hard for me to go for a couple of days without
being able to take a shower. I guess I didn’t realize just how much it would
bother me not being able to be clean. The argument could be like, oh, you don’t
have a shower on station either, but I do have access to water and towels and
those are, I think, good enough to be clean. I think that was one of the things
I did not expect.
If
you had the opportunity to share a meal in space with any historical figure or
fictional character, who would it be and what dish would you bring from Earth
to enjoy together?
I
would say Ahmed Bin Majid. He was an Arab explorer that traveled the world and
wrote a lot about his travels. I feel like he would be a person who would love
to hear about the journey and if he was alive at this time, he would be an
astronaut. What meal would it be? A salad. I love salads, so maybe a salad?
Source:
Muslimgirl.Com
https://muslimgirl.com/meet-the-first-arab-woman-astronaut-heading-to-outer-space/
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Suriya
Bibi’s Historic Win Shatters Stereotypes, Empowers KP Women in Pakistani
Politics
In this undated photo, Suriya Bibi poses with
supporters in Chitral, Pakistan. Bibi made history in early February 2024 by
becoming the first woman from the Chitral district to win an assembly seat
through a direct election. (Photo courtesy of Azhar Uddin)
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By
Benazir Samad
March
23, 2024
WASHINGTON
— When Suriya Bibi was running for a seat earlier this year on the Khyber
Pakhtunkwa provincial assembly, she faced numerous challenges beyond being a
woman and hailing from a minority sect in Pakistan's remote district of
Chitral.
Another
obstacle appeared when the Election Commission randomly assigned a hen symbol
as her identifier on ballot papers — such symbols are tools to aid illiterate
voters. In January, Pakistan's Supreme Court barred her political party,
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, from using the cricket bat symbol associated
with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Supporters
of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a political party of former Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan, hold a rally against the decision of election commission
for the electoral symbol of a cricket bat, Jan. 14, 2024.
The
hen symbol inadvertently perpetuated the stereotype that women in Chitral were
better suited for poultry farming than politics. Her opponents capitalized on
their good luck, ridiculing her and mocking the symbol's association with
domesticity.
In
a phone interview with VOA, Bibi said that there was no shame in poultry
farming and rejected the attempt to diminish her worth based on her election
symbol.
Bibi
made history in early February by becoming the first woman from Chitral
district to secure an assembly seat through a direct election rather than
assuming a seat reserved for women, as is customary in the region. Not only did
she clinch victory in the PK-1 constituency in Chitral with a decisive
majority, but she also ascended to the position of deputy speaker in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa assembly.
In
Pakistan, where women's involvement in governance is often restricted, Bibi
encountered obstacles while navigating and challenging traditional norms to
carve out her place in male-dominated politics.
“Currently,
all the big female names in Pakistani politics are scions of big feudal or
industrial political families,” Zakariya said. “In that, Suriya Bibi’s
achievement is not just unique for Chitral but also [for] all of Pakistan.”
Bibi
also reflected on how the severe winters and the daunting terrain of the
Hindukush mountains presented yet another challenge to her campaign.
Dilapidated
roads and inadequate infrastructure made reaching the remote areas of her
constituency difficult. Spanning approximately 210 kilometers (about 130
miles), the upper Chitral PK-1 district encompasses the farthest village,
Broghil, which borders the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan.
“Sometimes,
I had to walk kilometers on foot when there were no roads for vehicles,"
she said. "Despite facing these difficulties and even being unwell at
times, I remained dedicated to connecting with people and meeting voters. The
support of women who walked with me provided comfort and bolstered my
determination throughout this demanding campaign.”
“Despite
my family's support for another party, I made an independent choice and joined
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI party, [which means] 'Pakistan movement for
justice,' in 2007,” she said.
“Joining
politics, I initially faced resistance and received criticism for participating
in protests and rallies, as it wasn't common for women in the conservative
region like Chitral to break through a male-dominated field like politics.”
Starting
as a grassroots worker, Bibi began by mobilizing women at the village level,
then represented Chitral as a female leader and then became the vice president
of PTI Malakand Division. So, she ascended through the ranks within her party
before getting a nomination to run for election from the party.
In
the recent election, Bibi’s constituency was predominately female. Women voters
surpassed men in supporting her, giving Bibi 35,377 votes, compared with the
30,345 votes from men.
In
Chitral, where no local woman had previously secured an electoral victory and
where her opponents wielded greater financial resources, Bibi initially doubted
her chances.
“Men
establish connections, friendships, and network with party officials, gaining
exposure and influence," she said. "However, as a woman, I couldn't
do the same. Despite these challenges and cultural norms, I only had dedication
and the unwavering support of my family, particularly my husband. He
consistently encouraged me when I was nominated to run for the seat, urging me
to take it up as a challenge.”
Speaking
about her plans, Bibi said her focus would be on tackling property rights
issues for women and prioritizing girls' education. Given her background as an
educator, she eagerly anticipates establishing a nursing school in the region,
recognizing that young women who pursue nursing careers often must move far
from their families.
Aspiring
female students have begun approaching her about internship opportunities in
her office, she said, reflecting a shift in the perception that politics are
exclusively dominated by powerful men.
Source:
Voa News
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Supreme
Court Lawyer Shahnaz Tabassum CongressPick Against Owaisi?
Mar
23, 2024
HYDERABAD:
If the BJP did the unexpected by fielding Virinchi Hospitals chairperson K
Madhavi Lata from Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Congress is also likely to announce
Supreme Court lawyer Shahnaz Tabassum candidature to take on incumbent MP and
AIMIM heavyweight Asaduddin Owaisi.That Tabassum will clinch the Congress
ticket has gained ground after Feroze Khan, who was in the fray in 2019
elections, reportedly opted out of the race. Feroze had finished third behind
BJP's Bhagavanth Rao and Owaisi, who won the seat by securing over five lakh
votes. AIMIM has been winning the constituency since 1984.
Sources
said the developments in Congress were akin to what transpired in BJP, which
gave Hyderabad ticket to MadhaviLatha despite the presence of senior leaders
and several ticket hopefuls in the saffron party.
If
Tabassum emerges as Congress party's final pick, Owaisi will be up against two
women, a first in Hyderabad's electoral race. Two advocates (Tabassum and
Owaisi) and an entrepreneur (Madhavi Lata) will be vying for honours.
A
lawyer with over 12 years of experience, Tabassum is wife of state Waqf Board
CEO Syed Khaja Moinuddin. Though fairly new to politics, Tabassum, in a letter
addressed to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge while applying for her candidacy in
Feb, said Hyderabad was looking for a change and that Congress was the only
alternative to AIMIM.
However,
Tabassum's candidature is facing resistance with old-timers claiming that she
is an 'outsider' and wondered how could the high command even consider her when
some leaders have been working hard to build cadre in the last 2-3 years and
are being left in the lurch.
Hyderabad
District Congress Committee president Mohammad Waliullah Sameer,
KhajaGayasuddin, KS Anand Rao, Kousal Sameer of Kamgar and Karamchari Congress,
Osman Bin Mohammad Al Hajri, who contested from Karwan assembly seat, Mudavath
Rukmini Naik, who contested in GHMC polls, Vishnu Sabhathi from police
department, Shabaz Khan, Suram Dinesh Babu and Hyderabad DCC general secretary
Ranga SrikanthGoud are some of the contenders who showed interest to fight
against Owaisi.
Both
Owaisi and his brother and AIMIM floor leader in assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi
have been warming up to chief minister A Revanth Reddy after the Congress govt
took over the reins in the state in Dec last year and political observers see
the development as Congress taking a soft stand against AIMIM by fielding a
'weak candidate' against Owaisi, a four-time MP. "A strong party candidate
will give a tough fight to Owaisi, but the electoral matrix depends on several
equations and factors," a source in TPCC told TOI.
Post
formation of Telangana, Congress has never polled more than 5.5% votes in
Hyderabad seat in the last one decade. In the recent assembly election also,
Congress secured only 10% vote and stood third behind BJP, which secured 22.37%
votes, and BRS which bagged a lion's share of seats in Greater Hyderabad.
Congress' last good show was in 2004 when its candidate K Lakshma Reddy managed
to poll 25.3% votes.
Source:
Times Of India
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Apple
leads conversation on women’s health at Riyadh event
RAHAF
JAMBI
March
24, 2024
In
celebration of Mother’s Day and Women’s Day, Apple held a “Women’s Health
Majlis” at Sima Space in Riyadh, where a number of female influencers and
journalists gathered to learn about the new features of the Apple Watch,
including how to use it to help women track their menstrual cycle.
The
event, held on March 18, examined menstruation health in immense detail through
an in-depth presentation on Apple’s Cycle Tracking feature and the Apple
Women’s Health Study, along with a brief speech from Apple Vice President of
Health Sumbul Desai.
A
widespread hormonal ailment known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS,
which affects women of reproductive age, was also discussed.
“One
in four women in the Middle East and North Africa is diagnosed with PCOS, which
is a huge number, and many are undiagnosed because a lot of the time people are
normalizing the change in their periods timing as they have been experiencing
this throughout the years,” Saeed said.
She
said that period irregularity is a symptom of PCOS, and therefore, tracking the
cycle is important to diagnose a hormonal imbalance.
“It
is crucial to recognize these conditions as soon as possible in order to help
prevent some forms of cancer. This is where technology can help; if we can
detect and become aware of what’s happening early on, we are more likely to be
able to possibly manage it,” added Saeed.
Menstrual
cycle tracking goes far beyond the reproductive system, according to
Javeri-Mehta. Through tracking, a patient can have a deeper understanding of
her body, particularly if she suffers from conditions such as endometriosis.
“Your
menstrual cycle has a significant impact on your quality of life, aside from
the evolutionary reason that periods exist at all — basically, we should be
able to conceive each month, and if we aren’t, we get our period. However, it
goes much deeper than that since it simply illustrates how out of balance our
hormones are in our bodies,” she said.
“Estrogen
is protective when considering that the hormone is essentially the most
abundant in our bodies while we are women in the premenopausal age range. It is
safeguarded for both our heart and blood vessels. Our lipid profile, including
cholesterol levels, is improved by it. Estrogen is very important as a marker
of brain health as well. So, it’s protective against certain conditions like
Alzheimer’s disease,” added Javeri-Mehta.
During
the event, attendees had the opportunity to test out the new Apple Watch in a
variety of colors and band styles, utilize its capabilities, and discover its
various health benefits for women.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2481751/corporate-news
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'The
Hebrew Teacher': Three novellas about Israeli women in the US - review
By
ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN
MARCH
23, 2024
Maya
Arad’s outstanding novella trilogy, The Hebrew Teacher, recently translated by
award-winning Jessica Cohen and fresh off the press, seems prescient,
considering that it was first published in Hebrew in 2018 – eons ago in our
fast-changing world.
Ilana
is a veteran Hebrew instructor facing declining enrollment and post-Zionist
politics in her classes at a Midwestern college. Miriam flies to California,
uninvited, to visit the son she’s barely seen since he left Israel 20 years
before to make his fortune in Silicon Valley and to meet her grandson. Efrat,
raising her family in California, crosses forbidden lines when, with the best
of intentions, she follows her middle schooler into the minefield of social
media.
Born
in Israel in 1971, Arad clearly subscribes to the school of thought that a
fiction writer should write about topics with which she is personally familiar.
She received a PhD in linguistics from University College London (UCL) and has
lived in California for two decades. She is the writer in residence at Stanford
University’s Taube Center for Jewish Studies.
The
trilogy’s first story, “The Hebrew Teacher,” reveals that the present
deep-seated antisemitic/anti-Israel bias among faculty on American college
campuses began long before Oct. 7. For so many years, Ilana had delighted in
leading her students in singing “Od tireh, od tireh,” “You will yet see, how
good it will be, next year” at Israel Independence Day celebrations. And now?
“It
wasn’t a very good time for Hebrew,” Ilana reflects at the start of that last
school year, when Yoad, the BDS-supporting “progressive” Israeli-American
instructor of Hebrew literature, comes on board, remembering wistfully that
when she had arrived, “in ’71, it had been a good time for Hebrew. When she
told people she was from Israel, they used to give her admiring looks... There
was boundless pride back then. Pride in the state, pride in herself,” writes
Arad.
Yoad
becomes the darling of the fictional Midwestern university’s administration,
thus hammering the final nails into Ilana’s proverbial coffin. The
soon-to-retire adjunct instructor of Hebrew language fiercely loves her native
Israel and its culture. She’s hurt and bewildered by Yoad and what he represents.
The shifts in attitude and allegiances that marginalize Ilana on her own turf
will ring true to any reader with the slightest awareness of what it means
today to be a Jew on a foreign campus.
IN
THE second story, “A Visit (Scenes),” Miriam arrives in California to spend
three weeks with her young grandson, the child her aloof son Yoram has finally
produced in his late 40s with his young and unwelcoming wife, Maya. Right from
the first page, there’s tension between Miriam and Yoram; Miriam and Maya;
Miriam and the toddler; Yoram and Maya; and Yoram and his workplace. Miriam
longs to be a perfect savta [grandmother] to little Yonatan, but when she
accompanies Maya to pick him up from preschool that first day, his reaction to
her doesn’t augur well.
“Miriam
walks over, stands beside them, and runs her hand over his soft hair. She can
barely speak, she’s so excited. ‘Yonatan, Yonatan,’ she repeats his name. How
I’ve waited for you, Yonatan. ‘Yonatan, Yonatani, come to Grandma, Yonatani.’
The boy doesn’t look at her.”
The
foil to Miriam is Malka, another Israeli savta she met on the plane, who comes
twice a year to visit her son and his warm, vivacious, wife and children. The
contrast is painful for Miriam. But Malka’s kindness ultimately helps Miriam
come to terms with her flawed relationship with her only child and grandchild.
THE
POIGNANT third story, “Make New Friends,” illustrates how the difficulty of
raising preteens in the age of social media is all the more complicated for
immigrant parents to understand and navigate. Efrat, who’d been a loner in her
Israeli childhood, is tortured by her daughter Libby’s social struggles.
Much
about the mother-daughter relationship is universal, too. Probably any mother
who’s ever had a 12-year-old girl will understand the mix of bewilderment,
anger, hurt, pride, love, and desperation that buffets Efrat as she tries to be
the right sort of mother – and pushes her to cross acceptable boundaries in a
futile attempt to fashion a perfect life for Libby. In the end, she discovers
more about herself than about her daughter.
Source:
Jpost
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-793139
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Heat
exposure linked to pregnancy outcomes: Study
Mar
24, 2024
Chennai:
Heat exposure, a growing health threat due to climate change, significantly
impacts pregnancy outcomes in working women, a new study by Sri Ramachandra
Institute for Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) has found. Published in
the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, it highlights the urgent
need for heat protection measures for pregnant workers, especially in tropical
countries.
Union
health ministry supports more than 12 million poor pregnant women each year.
Yet, occupational heat stress and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Indian women
have not been studied previously, said the study’s corresponding author Vidhya
Venugopal. “Unless adaption measures are prioritised, a 2.5°C global
temperature rise will expose 1 billion people to life-threatening heat stress,
making heat protection for pregnant workers critical.”
The
study, done with scientists from Anna University, Chennai, Oxford University,
and Imperial College London, examined the impact of heat exposure on 800 women
who were 8-14 weeks pregnant. These women performing moderate to heavy manual
work visited primary/urban health centres and outpatient units of tertiary
hospitals in six TN districts between 2017–2019 and 2021–2022.
Pregnancy
outcomes of 457 women in informal sectors such as agriculture, brick kilns and
construction were compared with those of 343 women in schools, commercial
banks, garment industry, and hospitals. At least 379 (47.4%) women exposed to
heat had poorer pregnancy outcomes. There were 5% miscarriages, 6.1% still/preterm,
and 8.4% low birth weights among these women compared to 2% miscarriages, 2.6%
still/preterm birth, and 4.5% low birth weight among those not exposed to heat.
Heat-exposed
women were 3.5 times more likely to report heat-related illness symptoms than
unexposed women. They also exhibited higher symptoms of dehydration and were
more likely to experience urogenital symptoms. Women exposed to severe heat in
their first trimester had a more than three-fold higher risk of adverse
pregnancy outcomes. In the third trimester, the risk of adverse birth outcomes
was two fold.
Women
in informal jobs often lacked amenities such as toilets, shade and scheduled
breaks, exacerbating the risks of heat exposure. The number of rest periods in
an 8-hour shift varied and depended on the season, which determined the start
time of the workday. Except for a few informal workplaces, most expectant women
in this study engaged in moderate work. Across both groups, approximately half
were in their first pregnancy.
More
women in the exposed group were from lowest social class. Manual jobs with
heavy workloads were higher among exposed women compared to unexposed women.
Source:
Times Of India
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nora-al-matrooshi-arab-astronaut-nasa/d/131991